Brandon Bergholz

Always intrigued by the ability to orchestrate a large-scale construction project, Brandon Bergholz said that the greatest feeling is looking back on the progress of your day.

Bergholz, CEO of Select Building Companies, said that the most important element of a successful project in his multi-billion-dollar company are the people.

He is a leader who values people first. A graduate of Colorado State University, Bergholz worked for a large national general contractor for 15 years as an executive running the local healthcare team. In that role he shined and was selected as a 40 under 40 in the Industry. Confiding that he always had hopes and dreams of running his own company, Bergholz made that dream a reality in 2017 by founding Select Building Group, a niche residential framing company.

He said that his existing relationships were the nuts and bolts of jump starting his business.

He pointed out that the most important relationship he had was with Rick Ruvalcaba, one of the Owners of Four Star Drywall.

“He had always been a dear friend and mentor in my career, he taught me about leading by example and what it means to live up to your commitments,” he said. “As we joined forces, I was also asked to have a role in Four Star Drywall, founded in 1998, as Vice President.”

Without hesitation, Bergholz accepted.

Since joining forces, Four Star Drywall has completed many of Denver’s high-profile projects including: the Ritz-Carlton; Ralph Carr Justice Center; Saint Joseph’s Hospital, UCHealth Highland Ranch, and Gaylord Convention Center. They are currently working on Concourse B & C West and the Great Hall at DIA.

Bergholz said that business continues to perpetuate through new and existing relationships to be poised for growth. In 2018, with the addition of Michael Renella as VP/GM of Select Building Group Commercial, a general contracting company, the business experienced immediate success and reached aggressive revenue and margin goals in year one.

Still, Bergholz said that being a leader often faces you with the unexpected.

“As COVID impacted the local economy, we felt it in a big way with over $20M in backlog being put on hold,” Bergholz said. “We came together and changed our strategy.”

Bergholz said that communication, stakeholder alignment, and clear direction on who is to do what will bring success. He added that most failed ideas or unclear direction comes from poor or lack of communication; dialing in a clear concise plan is key.

“When you can align your time with the change and show the value and why it is being implemented you can change effectively and nimbly for the best results,” he said, and added, “As the industry changes the company will continue the ability to be nimble and provide the best possible value for our customers.”

“By focusing on the experience and the overall success of the project we will continue to grow. In 5 years the 4-core business’ will be able completely stand on their own. We have a few key positions to hire in the next 5 years to support this, but we have a great strategic plan to implement.” Bergholz said. “All business will grow 2-3x in the next 5 years per plan.”

Bergholz is known for being relentless in the pursuit of growth and development of his skills and others, a notable characteristic in this industry titan.

“We have started many new ventures which take a tremendous amount of time to get organized and with the right leadership team,” he said. “We have had to make a few course corrections to our plan, but we are on the right trajectory for growth.”

Constantly pushing the envelope on what is possible and a better way to do things, Bergholz’ awards and accolades include: 2017 Engineering News Record 40 Under 40; multiple articles in Healthcare publications; multiple national presentations on Prefabrication; National Jewish Hoops and Hoopla Fundraiser, and the Think Humanity Charity - Malaria Nets and Clean Water Wells. He added that one of the highest accolades he strives to reach are the standards he sets for himself.

“I strive to be authentic in all situations, life or business. This is a great way to chart your course and make sure you are staying on track with being a positive and impactful leader,” Bergholz said.

He said to start your career with something you love to do, be patient, and learn from others.

“Be a part of the team and communicate well with others. Nothing happens overnight so be patient, in the end if you are doing what you love it will all come together for you as a leader.”

He added that true leadership can be found in the words of Socrates.

“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”

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